


Open Season

by Aesos



Category: Original Work, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Dreams, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Injury, Sex, Slow Build, Team Dynamics, Teasing, operators, relationship, slight PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-02-28 06:33:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13265715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aesos/pseuds/Aesos
Summary: This is my first work on this site, and also my first R6S fic. Please enjoy! If you do, please leave me a comment... it helps me see that people are enjoying it, or want more, or whatever. Constructive criticism is also welcome as it helps me improve. <3 - Aesos





	1. Chapter 1

Doc finished his last revolution of her forearm, tucking the gauze in on itself to keep it attached to her. Reaching down to her fingertips, he squeezed one gently, checking her circulation. As the color returned to the skin, he looked back up to her. He didn't need to tell her how lucky she was to be sitting here. Of all the things that could have taken her down... he shook the thought from his mind and looked up to meet her gaze.

"All looks well, mon cher. The staff at the hospital did a fine job. But you will have to keep it in a sling for at least a week." Came his distinctive Parisian accent. It wasn't overly thick, but it was heavy enough. Mixed with his lightly raspy tenor voice, it was captivating.

Caliber could sit there and listen to him speak forever. She was used to Buck's French-Canadian, which didn't even come close to this. It lacked a certain elegance that Doc's native French held. Despite this, her face twisted in chagrin to his statement. "Oh common, Doc!"

He immediately held up a white gloved index finger, silencing her for a moment. "Yes, and it also means no training for a while. You really do not want to tear those stitches open, trust me. I am sorry to say that you are benched for now. I'll let Six know."

Cal grimaced, and lightly shook the prescription he'd given her for the pain. 

"Gee, thanks Doc..." she sighed. "But seriously, I wouldn't trust anyone else's hands. You're the best."

He blushed a little, and waved her off. "Flattery won't change my orders, mon cher."

"Can you blame a gal for trying?" She asked with a smirk.

"No, I suppose not." He replied with a chuckle, carefully removing the gloves and discarding them.

"I guess I'll go see if anyone else is still up. Get some rest Doc." She jumped off the stretcher and moved for the hall.

"You too!" He called after her, as she was already through the door.

She honestly didn't know what she was going to do with herself. She wouldn't be able to hold her rifle properly. Why did it have to be her dominant hand? 

The rec room was empty, save for a couple of the other operators. It was almost midnight and she hadn't expected anyone to even be there. 

Buck was busying himself pouring a drink for Glaz, and just smiled at her when he saw her on her feet. He'd been the one to haul her ass out of the fray, evidenced by her blood, which had soaked down to the sleeve of his thermal shirt. She closed her eyes and nodded, a silent thanks between teammates. Had the situation been reversed, she would have done the same, in a heartbeat.

Glaz turned his head, following Bucks gaze, and nodded to her before he noticed the sling. A flit of concern marked his normally painted facial features. The youngest Spetznaz was the more emotive of their group, probably because of his creative side. She waved him off as she saw his mouth drop open to say something.

"I'm fine, but I'm going to miss our get together on Thursday. Docs orders." She let him know, before too many questions popped up. He wasn't satisfied with her statement. They were friendly rivals, and often competed with each other to keep themselves sharp.

"What did you do?" He asked, pointing to the arm.

"I had to hot breach a window, but it was an incomplete breach. Faulty charge is my guess. I sliced my arm on some glass, and almost bled out in the field. I'm still a little dizzy, to be honest."

Glaz pointed to the couch. "Have a seat... we're not going anywhere."

She didn't even hesitate, and gingerly set herself down on the couch. Within minutes, she had passed out, not even noticing the two as they boisterously drank into the early morning.  
\----------------------------------------------

When she woke up, she was in her bunk, with the blankets draped over her. Her arm was cradled over a spare pillow, and elevated. Her eyebrow shot up quizzically, which garnered a chuckle from Frost. She had just finished lacing up her boot when she looked up to see Cal waking up.

"Buck brought you in last night... I don't know when, but it was late." She smiled, with a soft laugh. "I'm surprised you didn't wake up. He made quite a racket trying to find another pillow for your arm."

"Where is he?" Cal asked, wanting to thank him. She could tell he wasn't in the room, since his bunk was above hers, and there wasn't a mass of blankets hanging over the edge. He'd already made his bunk.

"Went out for a run. Said something about a foggy head."

"Last time I saw him, he was pouring a drink for himself and Glaz." Cal filled in.

"Ha! Say no more. I bet Glaz isn't feeling so hot this morning either." Frost laughed heartily now and Cal joined in. 

Frost got up and put her hand on Cal's shoulder. "Buck told me what happened yesterday. If you need anything, let me know... I know what it's like to watch from the bench."

"Thanks T." Cal replied. While they didn't use first names, even here, they'd agreed that initials were a grey area they could live with. "Oh! Before you go, can you give me a hand out of here?" She asked, with an embarrassed grin.

Frost laughed and offered her hand, which Caliber grabbed with her left hand. Frost gave a good tug, bracing herself, and helped Cal at least get to a siting position. "Thanks, eh?"

The other female JTF2 operator flashed her a smile and then headed for the door.

Cal looked down at her shirt, the same one from yesterday. There was a giant dark spot hidden underneath the sling. She sighed. Getting out of this shirt would be easy... the whole arm of the shirt had already been cut away by her teammates in the field when they stopped the bleeding. Getting into another shirt was going to be tricky though. 

She grabbed her knife from the sling of her rifle and carefully cut the rest of the shirt off. She was immediately dismayed by the fact that her sports bra was also stained. Great. She cut that off too, throwing it to the floor with the rest of her shirt. Rooms always felt colder than they actually were when you weren't wearing a shirt.

Cal got up, walked over to her locker and grabbed a fresh sports bra and under armour shirt from the top. She didn't really have anything else to change into here. Had she been back home, she have had a couple of loose T shirts kicking around. 

She took off the sling, and was given a painful reminder to take her meds after she figured this out. She inhaled sharply, hissing in the quiet room. Sliding the new bra over the injured arm first, she slipped herself into it. It was an awkward and painful experience, but she did it. The next few weeks were going to be hell. 

She looked down at the tight fitting shirt she was holding in her hand, debating even bothering, when Buck came striding confidently into the room. 

He was covered in sweat, a light sheen evident on his cheekbones. He had a towel around his neck, and a water bottle in his hand. He hadn't expected her to be up, and the look of surprise to seeing her in such a state had him taken aback. He quickly averted his eyes and uttered a quick "Whoa, sorry Cal! I wasn't expecting you to be up yet."

"It's just a sports bra Buck... nothing to worry about." She reassured him. 

"If you say so..." he chuckled, looking back at her. "How are you feeling?" He asked her, drying his face with his towel and grabbing a seat on the chair by the washroom.

"Glad to be alive. Thanks for that, by the way..." she paused, looking at her shirt again. "And thanks for tucking me in. You didn't have to do that." She said sheepishly.

"You're welcome... and no, I didn't, but I also didn't want to listen to you complain about your sore neck in the morning." He teased, with a wink.

"Ass." She replied, jokingly of course. She threw the shirt on her bunk and sighed. "I gotta go down to the quartermaster and see if they have something a little less... tight to wear, at least until this heals up."

Buck got up and went to his locker. He rooted around for a second, and pulled out a bundle of fabric from underneath a hooded sweatshirt. "This aught to work pretty well." He stated, tossing the bundle at her, and though it was her off hand, she caught it easily across her chest.

"I've got a ton of those. I can't stand the under shirts you gals favour." He shook his head slowly.

"Oh, thanks!" She replied, accepting the 'gift'. She slid her injured arm in first, and then threw it over her head. Cal caught a pleasant whiff of something off the shirt, and inhaled a little deeper. It was clearly from his cologne or aftershave. Something had rubbed off on it for sure, but she didn't mind at all.

She fumbled a bit, and grunted from the jostling to her arm. Without warning, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, telling her to stop, and then the shirt grew slack as Buck grabbed it to help her into it. She couldn't help but say something now, and sighed again, exasperated.

"Before you say anything, I just couldn't stand to see you flail about like a baby deer on the ice." He joked.

"Flail about huh? That sounds oh so graceful."

"You weren't seeing it like I was." He laughed and went back to his locker. He grabbed his towel, and kit and made for the bathroom. "See you at chow." 

Chuckling to herself, she put her sling back on and headed for the mess hall. She might as well face the rest of Rainbow and all the ribbing she was about to endure.


	2. Chapter 2

Breakfast was underwhelming, and not what she expected. She thought she'd never hear the end of ‘You really blew it!’ jokes and other casual quips at her expense. As luck would have it, a good chunk of the other operators were being tasked elsewhere just before noon, so their minds were elsewhere.

Frost was packing a couple last clothing items in her duffle when she walked back into their quarters. She let out a sigh and sunk into her bunk.

“All set?” She asked Frost.

“As set as I'm going to be. You know how it is.” She replied quietly. She was distracted.

“Sure do. Good luck out there.”

“Thanks Cal. Take care of that arm, eh?” Frost mentioned, pointing to the sling.

“I will.” She replied, with a small grin. She was daunted with finding something to do for the day, and settled on taking a nap. These drugs were kicking her ass, so she laid down and passed out on top of the sheets.

\----------------------------------------------------  
She slept right through the day, and wasn't even bothered by Buck or Frost as they went about their day. They let her sleep, figuring she needed it.

Later that night, she woke with a start from the thrash of Buck in the bunk above her. His arm had flailed and rattled the blinds covering the window beside them. She looked up, and just listened. He settled and was soon snoring again. He was a frequent back sleeper and had woken her and Frost on multiple occasions with his racket.

She tried to get back to sleep, but it wouldn't come. She flicked her reading light on and grabbed her novel. It was part of a vividly written sci-fi series and she'd been dying to get into the next one. Now that she didn't have to be up by the crack of stupid, she figured she'd try to relax with a little light reading.

Several chapters in, her eyelids felt heavy again. She began drifting to sleep, and her book threatened to fall out of her hand. In her semi-lucid state, she heard a mumbled "Cal..." from the bunk above and figured Buck was about to complain about the light. She switched it off and put the novel back on the night table by the head of her bunk. She drifted off to sleep, but it was short lived.

"CAL!" Buck shouted from a deep sleep. Then he groaned and rolled over. He wasn't there long before he rolled again, a softer "no..." escaping from him.

She gingerly rolled out of her lower bunk, careful of her arm, and stood beside the frame. She was just tall enough to look over the mattress of his top bunk and came face to face with him. He was still asleep, but there was a pained look twisting his features and she immediately knew what was happening. 

All too often, those in their profession succumbed to plagued dreams triggered by events they witnessed or were a part of. It came with the job, but at the end of the day, they were all still human. They still had emotions to contend with, and their training in that regard only went so far. Some dealt with it better than others.

"Buck, it's Cal..." she reached up and put her good hand over his shoulder and squeezed gently. The sheets were damp with his sweat, but she didn't care. "I'm fine. You got me out..."

His hand shot out and clamped down on her wrist, highly trained instincts kicking in. She didn't flinch, expecting the response. His blue-grey eyes shot wide open and he glared at her until he realized who he was looking at. His eyelids relaxed, and drifted closed again with a groan.

She shhhh'd him and his hand fell from her wrist. She stayed there, with her hand on his shoulder until she was sure he was fast asleep again. His breathing levelled out, and she slowly pulled her hand back.

Rolling back into her bunk, she pulled the covers up, draped her arm over her spare pillow and fell asleep to his snoring, comforted that he was past the nightmare.  
\-----------------------------------------------------  
In the morning, she woke to find that he was gone again, bunk sheets squared away. His running shoes were gone, so he must have gone for an early morning run again. It was odd for him, to run two days in a row, but she chalked it up to his rough night and shrugged it off.

She threw the borrowed shirt on again, surprised that it still smelled like him, and stumbled out of bed. She didn't bother fixing her short crimson hair, opting to finger comb it, and call it sufficient. She glanced at the wall and read 07:30. By Rainbow's standards, that was sleeping in.

As if to call her out on that fact, Six strode down the hallway. "I see you're up nice and early." She stated, with a hint of mock challenge in her voice.

Cal laughed. "Yes ma'am" she replied.

She stopped in front of Cal, and glanced at her bandaged arm. "I thought you might like to know that the measurements in your charge were insufficient. It would appear that the whole batch was affected. We've removed them from service, just to be sure. It won't happen again."

"Thank you. That's truly a relief. I wouldn't want any of the others to go through this." She said with a nod.

"Indeed. Well, I have a meeting to head off to. The chopper is standing by, probably waiting for me." Six informed her.

"My apologies ma'am. Safe trip." 

The elder turned and continued down the hall, towards the helipad. Cal resumed her trek to the mess, and found two of the other female operators, Valkyrie and Hibana waving their forks in a heated debate. Something about the soaps in the locker rooms. She laughed and shook her head as she grabbed a tray from the stack. Sliding it down the rail, she picked up a plate of scrambled eggs, some toast and a glass of OJ. These painkillers seemed to be killing her appetite along with the pain, so she didn't take much.

The ladies were too engaged in their conversation to pay her any mind, so she sat by herself at a table, facing the door. Such habits died hard, if ever.

She forced herself to eat a spoon full of eggs. Her stomach didn't want it, but she knew she'd need it. They were surprisingly fresh, and they were seasoned just right. The toast on the other hand, was a bit soggy. She ate it anyway.

She looked up from her bowl and Buck came in with Blackbeard in tow. They were laughing about something, and from the way Blackbeard was almost doubled over, she figured Buck was the instigator of the laughing fit. She took a selfish second to size up the two strapping men. She couldn't help herself.

Blackbeard, true to his name, sported a full beard. She always thought he looked like a typical lumberjack, and had taken to calling him Paul, which he always chuckled at. He carried most of his weight in his chest and legs, but everything was chiseled and defined, even under his tank top. His blue eyes were alight in reaction to whatever Buck had said. 

Though Buck was more or less the same height and weight as Blackbeard, he was more evenly proportioned than the more junior SEAL. The definition of the muscles were uniform and came naturally to her fellow Canadian. He just had that kind of physique. She only knew that because she had caught a glimpse of his torso just after she was stationed here. He'd walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, and waved at her nonchalantly. He hadn't been bothered by the incident, and she never mentioned it again.

Spotting her, Buck clapped Blackbeard on the shoulder and headed for her table. She smiled at him as he sat across from her. 

"Hey, I'm sorry about last night... I..." he started.

Anticipating this exact subject, she cut him off right there. "You don't ever need to apologize to me for that. I know what it's like, I know what we see, and what we have to deal with after the adrenaline wears off."

"I know, but..." This time, he stopped himself. He waved the thought away with his hand, and seemed to change tactics. "Thank you." He finished simply, but his features softened with the sincerity of the words. There was more to be read between the lines, and she figured it out immediately. He was thanking her for the comfort she had provided, without spelling it out and saving his dignity.

She blinked slowly, and nodded her head. "You're welcome. Anytime."

He smiled and got up to head for the stack of trays and the buffet line. She shovelled another spoonful of eggs into her mouth and finished her meal. Returning the tray to the counter, she headed to their quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow build. I prefer to have a developed relationship rather than just having characters just get it on and be done with it. I hope you’ll apreciate the sexy stuff when it happens that much more because of it.


	3. Chapter 3

Caliber spent the morning tidying their bunk room. She did what she could with a bum arm, picking things up and cleaning what she could with her awkwardly fumbling left hand. They had rules amongst their team, and one of those rules was not leaving personal items in the bathroom. There wasn't a lot of space, so they all stored their things in their lockers.

She sighed as she walked into the bathroom. Yet again, Buck had left his kit bag in the bathroom, precariously perched on the slim side of the bathroom sink. She grabbed the bag, and headed back to the lockers. They didn't lock them, having complete trust in one another. She opened Buck's to put the bag in the top. 

As she lifted the bag to the shelf, she couldn't help but catch a familiar scent as the bag passed her face. It was his of course. That fragrance had been on the shirt, and still lingered there, though just barely. It was sporty, yet had an undertone of musk. It was balanced in such a perfect way, like him. No wonder he liked it. She had unwittingly pulled the bag closer to her face, drawing in another breath. She was almost lost in it...

A rustle in the hall had her quickly stuffing the bag in the locker. Closing it as quietly as she could, she stepped back and reached for her book on her nightstand just as Buck came into the room. 'Of course he would.' She thought silently.

"Hey!" He started, "Looks like you've been busy..." he finished, brandishing his pointed finger around the tidied room. 

"Well, there isn't much else I can do at the moment." She replied, looking up as he walked towards the locker she had just closed.

He looked at her, as if she had said something shocking. It was a fleeting look, but it had been there. Had she blinked, she wouldn't have caught it at all. "I know that feeling." He told her, with sympathy hanging on the words.

He grabbed his coat from his locker, closed it but then reached for the door of hers. He rested his hand on the latch handle and then looked over to her. "I'm off to the outdoor range if you want to get out of here for a bit? My new sight just came in and I could use your help re-calibrating my DMR." He left the offer hanging like a question. He was trying to give her something to do, and she was grateful.

"Why not?" She chirped, happy for the invitation. It was more than Glaz had done, though she figured he was just giving her space to heal before switching back to his usual, boastful shenanigans.

Buck lifted the latch, and grabbed her parka for her. It would probably be too much for her, since it wasn't that cold out, but he knew he picked it because it was roomy enough for her slung up arm. Gentleman that he was, he held the coat for her as she slipped her left arm in. Zipping it up for her, he took a step back to put his own on. She reached past him as he did so, and grabbed her ballistic goggles from her locker and slung them over her head.

They walked in silence, other operators and trainees waving in acknowledgment as they strode towards the weapons lockers. He grabbed his CAMRS, and they headed outside.

They were alone, which served her just fine. She preferred the solitude, and preferred the lack of audience. While she was a proud marksman with just about any firearm, she hated the attention it garnered her at times. She had never been very good with compliments.

He set himself up, and slid a magazine home. Locked and loaded, he aimed down range. "Range is hot!" He called, and began firing. 

For the next hour or so, he shot, and she adjusted his sight. She knew damned well that he was perfectly capable of doing it himself, but chose to include her. It was a perfect distraction and helped keep her in the game, so to speak.

"Ok, try that now. I think we're on to something." She instructed, setting her tools down and handing the rifle back to him.

He picked it up again and took a couple more shots. "Magnifique! That was it." He remarked, triumphantly. He cleared the weapon, and put it back in its case. 

"You're welcome." She quipped with a smirk, anticipating what he was about to say. 

He laughed and shook his head. "I don't know how you do that... knowing what I'm going to say before I say it."

"You're a little predictable, Buck." She told him. It was the truth.

He looked mock mortified. "Am not!"

"Hate to be the one to break it to you, but you are. You're always a gentleman."

He scoffed, but then he smirked like the devil himself. "Just don't get on my bad side."

Cal laughed. This trip to the range had cheered her up immensely. "Can't wait to get back out here myself."

"Won't be long now.” He grabbed his gun bag, and slipped it over his shoulder.His elbow popped out and he leaned over to her. “How about we go back in?"

She slipped her good arm through his and linked elbows with him. "Sure." She agreed, and they headed back into the barracks. It was so quiet, but that was about to change.  
\-----------------------------------------------------  
Word had come down that another crew was being called in to assist the team that had just left, and another was being dispatched to assist the local police on a tip they'd received that morning. The only ones that would be left were a couple of the GSG9 team and the GIGN. Cal was friendly with all of them, but not really close to any of them. Had the SEALS been there still, she might have gone to see them, but they were both shipping out with this excursion.

She sighed and headed out to see the group off. They hurriedly stuffed all of their kit bags in the back of the lined up SUVs, all bound for the airport. 

Glaz, Buck, Blackbeard and Fuze all buzzed around the vehicle closest to the doors. 

Fuze gave her a curt nod, and she was surprised he'd even acknowledged her at all. He hadn't said anything to her since returning from the same mission she was injured in. 

Blackbeard blew her a kiss and it made her smile. He was sometimes flirty when he wasn't trying to be a deadly SEAL. She thought it very odd, since he was usually very grim when leaving for a mission. She showed him what the out of place gesture meant to her, blew a kiss back to him, and mouthed a 'good luck'. He winked and jumped into the front passenger seat, closing the door with a thud.

Buck was the last to stow his gear. He closed the back hatch and was just about to jump into the middle row when he looked back at her. He was about to say something to her, but the driver yelled back to him that they had to go, and go now. He smiled at her, and his eyes conveyed a conflicted set of emotions. They had a bittersweet look to them. He looked apologetic, leaving her standing there, but he was also filled with mission anticipation. She knew he much preferred that she be there to cover his six on a mission, but she knew that Glaz would take good care of all of them in her place.

'Go.' She mouthed, and waved to him, and he got into the seat and closed the door. She felt mission jitters herself, even if she wasn't going. As the vehicle disappeared from view she was overwhelmed with the guilty feeling that she wasn't going. She offered up a silent prayer to whatever deity would listen for the groups safe return.

Walking back into the building, she shed her coat, and headed for the gym. She needed to clear her head and work off the unexpected adrenaline. She threw her coat onto a bench, and laid down carefully on the ground. Looking up at the ceiling, she tightened the sling on her right arm, crossed her left arm over it, and started doing sit-ups. She ploughed through them until her muscles failed, and she collapsed on the gym floor. She concentrated on slowing her breathing.

When she opened her eyes, Jäger was standing over her, arms crossed.

"That was impressive. I didn't think you'd make it past 80..." he offered a hand up, and she took it.

"Thanks. I needed to vent, and that was the only exercise I think I can do right now."

"Still bothering you?" He asked, pointing to her arm. 

"Not really. It's more of an annoyance. The painkillers keep me from noticing it too much, so if it weren't for the sling, I wouldn't notice." She looked down at it, and decided right then that she'd had enough of it. The wrap that was around the wound was tight enough. She unslung her arm, and threw the sling into the nearest bin.

"Doc will have your head if he finds out." Jäger warned with a mock scolding finger waggling in the air.

"Then he can come and get it himself. I can't do anything with it on. It's not like I'm trying to run the obstacle course here. I know my limits." She defended herself, matter of factly.

He put his hands up defensively and chuckled. "Suit yourself." He turned and headed over to a rack and grabbed some free weights. 

She left him to it and headed for the rec room... she'd heard that they'd sprung for a new Xbox after Fuze had broken the last one in a fit of jealous rage. Glaz had bested him and it hadn't ended well. The Uzbek had a short fuse alright. She mused it was a likely source of his callsign.

Grabbing the controller, she turned the console on and loaded up an FPS. If she couldn't shoot in real life, she'd do it in the digital one.

Minutes blurred into hours, and soon, the room was dark. A few of the others had passed by, or even through the room, but none stayed, all busier than she was. This week was dragging on, and it was becoming excruciating.

She powered down the console and headed for her empty room. She glanced at the two empty bunks and hoped their owners were faring well.

Settling in, she clicked off her light and fell asleep. Without Bucks snoring, she hoped it would be a sound one.  
\-----------------------------------------------------  
Two more days passed, and she managed to keep herself busy. 

She'd helped Bandit out on the range, made Jäger look a fool at ping pong even though she was using her non-dominant hand, and even gotten Rook to play a match or two of chess.

She had debated going out on the town, but couldn't think of anything she wanted to do, and really didn't want to go alone. She'd have asked Valkyrie to go, or even IQ. They were both great gals to let loose with. She smiled at a memory of drinking Valk under the table, and the two of them stumbling back to base, Cal almost carrying the drunken SEAL. She started humming an old Irish tune about a drunken sailor as she made her bunk for the third time.

Twitch poked her head in the door, heard Cal humming away and whistled to get her attention. Cal looked up and waved. 

"Just thought you might like to know, but teams 1 and 3 are RTB. They should be back in time for dinner." Twitch told her. "You'd better find your sling before Doc sees you like that." She quipped with a smirk.

"Thanks Twitch... and I can handle him, even with my hand behind my back."

"Sure, sure Caliber." She said before she disappeared from her door frame.

By the time chow rolled around, the place was buzzing with life again. There was only Frost's team left to come back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a perspective shift. Forgive me if this seems awkward, or ‘repetitive’. This is from Buck’s side of things, and hopefully it works out. Next chapter should be more... ahem... exciting. ;)

Buck watched her leave the mess hall with Doc, then polished off the rest of Cal’s dinner. She was right, the last of it was cold, but he didn’t care. He really was starving. He hadn’t eaten much on the road, so he was making up for it.

As he ate, he played the mission over in his head, like he had so many times in the days since...  
\-----------------------------------------------------  
He was situated ahead of Cal, sighted down towards the room she was going to breach into. He had a small field of view, and was trying to cover her from the opposite side. The edge of her window was all he could see. It was just enough to see the debris explode from the frame as she detonated the charge. He also saw that the window hadn't fully breached, but he couldn't warn her.

He watched her boots crash through partially broken glass, and saw her face flinch as her arm was sliced open. She landed on the ground, and crumpled. She instinctively propped her rifle on her hip with her off hand, and tucked the injured dominant hand into her chest as best she could. 

He had almost rushed in, not knowing the extent of her injuries, cognisant of the fact that time was against her for sure. A tango, having heard the explosion, darted into the room where she lay exposed. He aimed high, pressed his trigger on his CAMRS and was surprised when her fire joined the racquet, felling the assailant in crossfire.

‘Damn…’ he thought briefly, but checked himself back to the situation at hand. He clicked the comms and relayed what had happened. The other members of their team wasted no time pushing in on the terrorists.

The “Clear” call rang out minutes later, but it wasn't soon enough for Buck. He was already halfway to Cal’s position when it came through. He slid to his knees as he ran in and grabbed her arm. Her sleeve was already soaked, and there was a small pool under her arm.

The cut was deep, and was dangerously parallel to the vital arteries beneath.

“Oh hell, Cal…” he murmured, making eye contact with her. Her eyelids were fluttering, and he could tell she was in shock. She'd lost so much blood, it was a surprise that she hadn't passed out already. She was close though… he had to work fast. He cursed the fact that Doc wasn't with them. While they were all trained in basic first aid, this was beyond his skills. He didn't know if she was going to make it.

Reaching into a pouch on his vest, he grabbed a spare bootlace. He whipped the toque from his head and threw it over the gash on her arm. With shaking hands, he quickly tied a loop around her arm, knotted it, and then continued wrapping the wound. When he was done, it looked reminiscent of a roast, ready for the oven. Without her to hold it, he did his best to cinch it tight.

“Don't you dare!” He yelled at her as he watched her eyes close and her shoulders slack. “Cal!” He shook her left shoulder. Nothing.

“Fuck!” He exclaimed. He secured her weapon, locked the safety, and threw it to Blackbeard, who slung it over his shoulder. Buck secured his own, clipped it to his sling, and slipped it behind his back with a nudge of his elbow. Then he leaned down and picked her up. “We gotta get her out of here, now!”

They evacuated as fast as their feet would carry them. The trip to the hospital was agonizingly long. Seconds were minutes, minutes became hours. They were going to lose her, and it wasn't sitting well with Buck at all.

Sure, there had been other injuries in Rainbow, but this was cutting it too close. There had been so much blood. He actually shuddered at the thought.

When the hospital got the call, they cleared out a section of their facilities to work on her. Operational security was a huge concern for them, and these people were bending over backwards to keep things low profile. The Rainbow team truly appreciated it. Having fully decked out operators in a public space was begging too many questions that they didn’t need to answer.

The surgery lasted far longer than Buck had expected. He didn’t know how many cups of coffee he’d had, but the jitters told him it had been too many. His leg was bouncing, boot laces pinging softly on the metal leg of the waiting room chair. 

It drew the ire of Blackbeard, who had thrown his boonie cap over his face, trying to catch some shut eye while they waited. He grabbed one of the empty cups and pitched it at Buck. “Cut that out… I know you’re worried about her. We all are. But If you keep that up, I'll put you in there too.” He joked, trying to lighten Bucks mood.

It didn’t really have the desired effect.

“Oh fuck off BB.” Buck retorted, using the childish version of the SEALS callsign.

Blackbeard lifted the boonie off his eyes and narrowed them in a piercing glare. “What’s gotten into you?”

“I’m just sick of being here. I hate hospitals.” He covered. It was more than that, but he wasn't about to let Blackbeard know that.

“Who the hell does?” Blackbeard countered, and put the boonie back over his face.

Buck tucked the offending foot behind the other. It stopped the pinging, but it didn't stop him from twitching.

Not long after that, the doctor came out to see them. Buck called out to Blackbeard, who woke with a start. They both stood up to greet the woman, who already had her mouth open to speak.

“Well, that's one of the worst I've seen in a while, but she's stable. She lost a lot of blood, but we've given her a transfusion. We'd recommend she stay here for a day or two for observation, but I'm told that you have a doctor on staff at your facility.” She looked at them skeptically. It was clear this was unfamiliar territory for her.

“We do.” Confirmed Buck. 

“I'm relieved to hear that. Even if it's against my better judgement, I've been overruled by someone higher than I can even see.” She toned, not happy with the decision, but powerless to do anything different. “She's being prepped to be discharged into your care. If anything happens between here or there, please get her to the nearest hospital.”

“Is she clear to fly?” Blackbeard asked her.

“Well, I suppose so, as long as it's not a long haul. She’ll need to take a dose of painkillers in about an hour, and she'll be pretty groggy for the next few hours.”

“Understood. Thank you ma’am” Blackbeard reached out to shake her hand.

The doctor took it, and almost grimaced from Blackbeard’s strong grip. Buck shook her hand as well, but was a bit more gentle.

She called a nurse over and instructed her to bring the two operators to the recovery room.

Buck walked in and saw Cal half sitting up with a bandaged arm. There was a nurse on her other side, in the process of removing the IV line.

Cal’s head rolled to the side as they walked in. “Hey guys.”

Buck stopped in the doorway behind Blackbeard, who was already halfway into the room. He was just happy to see her awake.

“Hey yourself.” Blackbeard smiled.

“How long was I out?”

Buck managed to find his voice then. “Too long. Had us kinda worried.”

“Huh. Didn't feel that long.” Cal came back.

“Tell that to Mr. 5 Cups over here.” Blackbeard teased, jabbing his thumb in Buck’s direction. “I figure he could probably go the next 12 hours, no problem.”

Cal smiled and looked over to Buck. “That bad huh?”

When she looked at him, he was frozen. Though he'd seen that exact same smile a hundred times, this one caught him off guard. Her eyes were drowsy, but there was a sparkle to them. He suddenly realized that she meant more to him than he thought, and the realization hit him like a breach charge.

“Yeah, I guess…” he stammered. “But it's all good. You're awake now, and that's what matters.”

Blackbeard chimed in, moving things along. “Doc says your stable enough to move out, so as soon as the nurse is finished, we’ll be on route. The others are in the SUV, and the plane is standing by. We’ll get you back to base, don't you worry your pretty little head.”

“Thanks Paul.” She chirped.

Blackbeard barked a hearty laugh. “She's fine!” He managed to get out amidst his laughter.

Buck kept to himself and his thoughts, letting Blackbeard push her through the halls, out to the waiting vehicles. They seemed to be having a laugh anyway, and it made him relax to see her enjoying herself. 

He remembered her chatting with the others on the team as they rode to the airport, but he could tell she was feeling the groggyness. “Cal… time for your meds.” He reminded her.

“Thanks nurse.” She quipped, and reached out for a bottle of water. Blackbeard handed her one from the front seat and she downed a couple capsules.

They boarded the plane, and Cal passed out in the seat next to Buck. He couldn't help but stare at her. She was so peaceful.

‘Fuck…’ he thought, and looked back to the aisle. He wasn't sure that he wanted to feel the way he was feeling towards her. Fraternization was dangerous for them. But it wasn't impossible.

After they got back, Buck headed to the bar to pour some drinks for himself and Glaz. Cal was with Doc, and when she came in to join them, she promptly passed out. 

Though he'd had a few extra drinks at the Russian snipers urging, he was still aware of her sleeping on the couch. Glaz had stumbled off to his bunk, leaving him alone with her. So many thoughts ran through his mind, but he would never indulge in them. He wasn't that kind of man.

Instead, he picked her up, and carried her drunkenly down the hallway. She didn't even stir. He laid her in her disheveled bunk, chuckling to himself at the convenience of her laziness. He fumbled around the room for another pillow and gingerly set it under her arm. She moaned, and he winced. That probably hurt. He whispered a quiet apology, and covered her up. 

He stopped and looked at her again, and found her looking just so vividly innocent. She was beautiful, lean, and so deliciously dangerous. He was bigger than her, but even still, he knew she could find seven ways to kill him before he'd even hit the ground. She was so unassuming in that way.

He wanted her, but he knew he'd have to earn it. The hunt was on, but sleep was sorely needed first. He climbed into his bunk above hers and passed out on top of the covers.

Buck spent the next few days spending as much time as he could with her, but not make it overtly obvious.

He come back from his run and caught her trying to change out of her shirt. She was just standing there, looking at her shirt with malice. He took in what he could, and found that he enjoyed what he saw, very much so. He feigned embarrassment to catch her like that, and she shrugged it off. ‘Stroke of luck?’ He wondered. She was a quick witted woman, and he needed to play this right. When he'd given her the shirt, he didn't miss her sniffing it, nor did he miss the slightest smirk on her lips. 

Then he nearly blew it with the nightmare that same night. The horrible mission played in his head, and now, the fear of losing her had more meaning. It was playing havoc on his psyche. When he awoke to see her standing there, he felt overwhelmed. She was selfless, and comforting to him beyond words. He'd felt her hand stay on his shoulder until he drifted back to sleep. He was starting to feel like an .ass for going about it this way...

...and when he'd apologized for his outburst at breakfast, she'd just reinforced his admiration for her. She took it in stride and told him not to worry about it. She thought it was just because of the mission. These moments made him forget that she was normally so sassy and brash. His heart drummed in his chest just talking to her.

Speaking of which, he almost lost his composure with her line about nothing else to do at the moment. He was playing such a dangerous game. In that instant, he pictured himself laying her down on the bed, reaching for that sports bra and… he had to shake it off, right then and there. ‘Not yet, you idiot.’ He was losing his resolve though. Too much longer and he felt like he would implode.

He switched gears, trying to save himself, and her. She was restless and he couldn't stand to see her frustrated like that. He grabbed his coat, and asked if she wanted to go to the range with him. He knew she wouldn't be able to turn him down, and sure enough, she tagged along. The next few hours had them huddled close, and Buck strained not to steal a kiss, then and there. They were alone… it would have been so easy. But she called it, dead on like her aim… he was too much of a gentleman. It was as endearing as it was calculated. She had him figured out, but did she really know?

He got selected to take on the next mission, and it went smoother than they expected. When they'd left, she had come out to see them off. He debated saying something, in case things went south. Gods, he'd come close then… looking back at her with her sexy red hair cascaded over her face, he'd almost professed his love for her right there. But the driver interrupted him, and he didn't get the chance. She mouthed go, and her features were softened as she waved. He made a silent prayer that the team came out alright, but if they didn't, he'd have that face to remember as he made his way to the Gates.

The intel had been strong, and right on the money. Easy job for once. He strained to keep Cal and the botched mission out of his mind while he was on task. If he didn't, someone else could suffer the same, or worse.

When they got back to base, they were JUST in time for evening chow. He was ravenous from the long trip back. He couldn't stand the excuse for ‘food’ they gave them on missions, and when he smelled the seared meat from the kitchen, he was desperate. Thought it wasn't just the steak he was hankering for. Cal sat next to him, and picked at her steak. He was worried about her… she even looked a bit gaunt from the two days he'd been gone. He nudged her and told her to get something else from the galley, but she wasn't going to bother them on her account. She gave him her steak and picked at the potatoes and veg. Doc interrupted them, taking her away to get checked out. Hopefully she'd be able to stop taking the meds… they were sapping her.

He ate the last part of her meal and stowed the tray. Hoping Cal was done with Doc, he headed back to their room. With Frost out on a mission still, they'd have the room to themselves. That was exactly what he was hoping for. He'd had enough of the hunt… time for the kill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave some kudos if you’re with me so far, like it, or want more.
> 
> If you’ve been here since the beginning, thank you! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok... brace yourselves. This is the explicit chapter I’ve been debating even posting. I’m nervous as all hell about it, but I’m gonna jump in with both feet. Have at it.

Cal heard him come in, but didn't even flinch this time. He'd walked in on her before, and being a shared space, she knew she ditching her shirt like that was at her own risk.

She jumped when he came up behind her, and put his hand on the small of her back and traced around her hips. He grabbed hold and spun her around, careful not to grab at her shoulder so he didn't hurt her arm.

If he hadn't been so fast, she'd have tried to throw him to the ground. Her instincts wanted her to, but sheer surprise had her frozen. She barely had time to take a breath before he pulled her head in with his other hand and pressed his lips to hers.

Her first reaction had her left hand coming up to his face to push him away and slap the life out of him. But she was disarmed by the scent of his aftershave, and it stunned her. Instead, her hand found itself cupping his jaw, pulling him closer. His intensity and confidence was intoxicating. She felt him relax, clearly relieved that she responded this way and hadn't tried to kill him.

He stepped forward into Cal, pressed up against her and pushed her back to the wall. With her pinned, he kept kissing her, ravenous and with purpose. She moaned, putting her injured arm around his neck. He scooped his arm around her back in return and held her to him. He broke away from her lips, trailing kisses to her ear. He stopped for a moment, and she could hear him breathing heavily.

“How's this for predictable?” He asked her, ghosting his lips over the bottom of her ear. His voice was deeper than usual, husky and hurried. She felt goosebumps prickling over her skin.

“Fuck predictable…” she whispered back. 

He growled at her response, kissing downwards and biting playfully at the base of her neck. “Tell me you want this… please Cal… I want to hear you say it. Please?”

“You dirty little…” she huffed, “...fine. I want this NOW.” She replied.

“Hmmmm…” he hummed, like her words were music to his ears. “On the bunk.”

It wasn't a request.

He backed up, and let her move to the bed as he'd instructed. As she backed up towards it, she never took her eyes off him. She was watching him like a hawk, and he grinned wildly. He reached down and took off the shirt he was wearing, pulling it over his head. 

His muscles moved with the action, and she watched… taking it all in. He noticed and flexed downwards, hands teasing at the buttons of his combat pants. Those toned abs, defined pecs… the light little treasure trail...

“Don't think I haven't caught you staring at me before…” he quipped, with his thumbs now tucked into the waist of the pants. His downward angled fingers drew her gaze to his groin, and it made her teasingly aware that he was already half hard. “But this time, I'll let you see whatever you want.”

“Do I seriously have to ask?” She wondered aloud, exasperated.

“I've never heard a woman swear as much as you do, so I want to know just how dirty you can be.”

“Buck, you're an asshole. Stop toying with me…” she sighed.

“I've been toying with you since you came back from the hospital… I'd say it's worked pretty well, wouldn't you?”

Everything clicked. She felt like a fool for not seeing it, but the end result outweighed everything. ‘And I thought Frost was the master of traps.’ She thought.

Cal looked up at him with a grin, admitting she'd been bested. “Fuck you…”

“That's what I've been hoping for my dear.” He couldn't help but smile widely, throwing a wink in for good measure.

“Then come here and help me.” She commanded, done playing. She sat up and started working her arm out of ‘his’ shirt.

“Yes ma’am.” He replied and moved closer to the bunk. He grabbed hold of the bottom seam and peeled it from her. He let her set the pace. He wanted to have his way with her, but she was still injured. Buck lifted the injured forearm and kissed it once over the dressings.

“Cut it out with that ma’am shit… we’re not at boot. And you're being a gentleman again.” She mockingly scolded him. Seeing him pay attention to the injury was endearing. 

He didn't stop, and just kissed his way back up her arm. “I know…” 

A kiss at her shoulder. “...but I feel like I…” 

Another kiss at her neck. “...need to make it up to you.”

“Then shut up and kiss me you fool.” 

“Avec plaisir.” He whispered, and then turned her face to his. He leaned into her, causing her to fall back to her pillow. He hurriedly followed, and caught her mouth with his again. 

Like his suave pursuit of her, his tongue slid deftly past the defences of her lips, and he dove in. She lifted her head and he cradled it with his hand. He grunted with the effort of climbing into the bed with her. It was small for one, nevermind two.

She couldn't believe this was happening, but didn't want the disbelief to ruin it. Her left hand ran through his short, deep brown hair. For just this moment, he was hers.

He was almost grinding into her, acutely bringing her focus back to him. She decided then that she was going to enjoy every second, on her terms now.

She ran her fingers from the back of his head, around his neck, down his chest, and reached down. Palming the bulge in his pants, she gently gripped as much him as she could. He grew harder in her hand, and it had him groaning, arching his hips into her grip even more. Even restricted by the fabric of his pants, she could tell he was sizeable. ‘Oh, hello there…’ she mused, moaning at the thought. 

He leaned back a bit, breaking their kiss. His face was relaxed, eyes closed, jaw slightly agape as she kept hold of him. He looked down at her, and opened his eyes. His blue-grey eyes stared at her, pierced through her even.

“Cal…” he whispered. It was desperate, and sounded eerily like when he had called for her in his sleep. 

“I'm right here.” She replied, without thinking. Her grip relaxed and she reached to undo the buttons of his combats. Buck let her, watching her as if she might suddenly disappear. 

He reached for her as she sat up, and slid his fingers under the bottom edge of her sports bra. After she was done with his buttons, he pushed the bra up, and over her head. Cal moved with him, and angled herself to get the offending article off. When she'd slipped out, he threw it aside. His gaze dropped, along with his jaw.

“Beautiful.” He breathed. One hand reached for her breast, the other found its way around the back of her head. He snared her lips again, and squeezed the cupped breast.

The pain in her arm was coming back, but Cal pushed it aside. She needed both as she reached for the waist of his pants. She was trying to pull his pants and boxers down over his hip, but was failing miserably. She groaned.

Buck smiled into their kiss, and his left hand fell from her breast, and down to his own waist. He helped her, taking the place of her injured arm. His clothes slid down his hips, and his breath caught a little as he was exposed to the cool air of their room.

Right hand dominant Cal found herself intimidated… that hand was out of commission. She reached for him slowly, almost timidly. Time to train the other side.

She grabbed hold of him, his shaft sitting on top of her palm. The simple action elicited a gravelly moan from the operator. When she wrapped her fingers around him, he almost shuddered. 

He'd been anticipating this for so long, the built up frustration was killing him. Her hand was so warm, and he couldn't help but thrust forward a little into her grip. It felt so good… He pulled back from their kiss again, and his cock almost slid from her grasp before he thrusted forward again. “I knew you could handle a weapon, but damn…” he breathed, words slurred.

“Flattery… will get you everywhere.” She chimed, before letting go of him, and reached for her own waist band. Bracing her shoulders, she arched her back, and slipped her pants over her hips. Buck, quick thinking as their breed of soldier tended to be, leaned forward and slipped his tongue between her folds before she knew what hit her.

“Oh… Buck…” she exclaimed as he pushed his face into her. She held the arch as long as she could, letting him have his way. “That's…” she couldn't finish her thought. He slipped his arms under her back to support her, and just kept ravaging her.

Gods, it had been so long… everything felt new again. She actually shivered, panting with each breath. He was savage , and clearly knew what he wanted as he pulled her hips into him. Then his tongue slid deeper and slipped inside her, flicking her clit on the way down. She gasped and twitched, but he paid it no mind.

Relaxing his grip on her hips, he let her set her hips down. He was breathing heavily himself, but gave her a second to get comfy. He reached up, licked the palm of his hand, and grabbed his cock in his hand. Stroking slowly couple of times, he looked down at her. 

Watching him stroke himself… Cal didn't know she could be further turned on. It was probably the hottest thing she'd ever seen.

“Last chance to retreat.” He smirked.

“Shut the fuck up and holster it will you!?” 

“There's that dirty talk I wanted to hear…” he growled, and leaned down. He grabbed hold of his shaft and slid the head between her wet folds. He guided himself in slowly, letting her adjust to him as he braced his arms on the mattress. He assumed an almost push up position, and started pushing his hips forward. 

Cal let him do the work, and went along for the ride on this one. He was gentle at first, but she could tell he was hesitant to push harder. “Buck… don't hold back.” She panted. “I'm not going to break.”

He didn't reply verbally, but his next thrust was hard, and she shifted backwards over the sheets. “That's better…” She rasped, and he picked up his pace. He seized a nipple again, sucking fiercely as he fucked her, faster with each passing second.

Between her moans and his grunting, she was sure they were going to wake up half the base. She bit her lip and bore down on him. She hadn't been fucked like this in quite some time, so she was close. Something told her he was closer though.

He was almost out of breath, and covered in a light sheen of sweat. His face buried itself in her neck, his hot, ragged breaths huffing against her skin. He bit her, but not hard enough to break the skin. It was like he was trying to anchor himself. Cal moaned, though it was higher pitched, so she strangled it between pursed lips.

“I'm close…” he whispered.

“We’re covered.” She eased his mind.

“Goooood…” he slurred as he pounded her hard and fast now. Seconds later, she could feel him release, a loud groan escaping his lips as he finished himself inside her.

She wasn't far behind, moaning his real name under her breath, milking every last drop from him. 

Utterly spent, he nearly collapsed on her, but instead pulled out and rolled to her side. Then he collapsed and took a few deep breaths. They both took a few moments to recover, neither of them speaking for a while.

Surprisingly, it was Buck who broke the silence.

“I thought I was going to lose you…” his voice was soft, and his breathing was slowing down.

“What?”

“When your breach charge didn't completely blow out the window. I came running into the room and there was already so much blood…”

“From the scuttlebutt I hear, you saved my life with that bootlace of yours. That was quick thinking.” She paused, and grabbed his hand. “Please stop worrying about what happened. You did everything you needed to do, and I'm here because of it. Consider this your official thank you.”

He chuckled a bit at that, but then grew somewhat sullen.

“Cal… I don't want this to just be a one-time thing.” He turned his head and looked at her. “I know that what happened to you could happen again, to any of us. But I don't want to go through life without having really loved someone. And when you looked at me from your hospital bed, you captured my heart. You weren't just a team-mate anymore. It really hit me that I almost lost what I didn't know I had.” 

“Buck…”

“No, Cal, seriously. You're one of the few people on this earth that can understand what we go through, what we see or have to do. I could never be with someone that didn't understand that. When you were there for me during my nightmare, it just told me everything I needed to know. You were exactly who I needed you to be. That kindred spirit.” He squeezed her hand.

“I had no idea you felt that way…” she told him, barely above a whisper.

“Well, now you do.” He replied, and he pushed his head forward to kiss her, tenderly this time.

She didn't know what to say. This was a lot to take in.

“I'm not asking you to marry me here Cal… just promise to be there for me…”

“That, I can do.” 

“Good… now can we go get cleaned up?” He asked, eyes darting to the bathroom and back.

“Oh fuck yes…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is... I hope you enjoyed it. 
> 
> Look me up on Tumblr if you want to follow my rantings or leave comments if you don’t have an account here. (aesos-caliber)
> 
> EDIT 09/MAR: Now with artwork!  
> http://ojiisan01.tumblr.com/post/171689711985/commission-for-aesos-caliber


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